Monday, 7 June 2010

Government Report Says Herbal Supplements Contain Toxins

Persons who use dietary and nutritional supplements may be supplementing their diets with more than just healthy nutrition. These persons are at a high risk of ingesting toxic chemicals, including mercury and lead.

That frightening information comes from a report by the Government Accountability Office. The report was based on investigations into the ingredients contained in many of these herbal and nutritional supplements that are so popular these days. The investigators found traces of lead, mercury and other metals in the supplements. They also found excessive traces of chemical pesticides in these products. Of the 14 supplements that were tested by investigators, high pesticide levels were found in at least 16 of the products.

That is a serious problem when you consider the fact that millions of Americans use all kinds of nutritional supplements every day. It is estimated that approximately half the American adult population is on some kind of supplement program. Approximately 25% of the population consumes herbal supplements regularly. In fact, sales of herbal and nutritional supplements top $25 billion annually.

It’s not just the presence of toxins and pesticides in these products that have government investigators concerned. It is also the fact that many of these products are being sold on the basis of misleading claims. California dangerous drug lawyers have not exactly been unaware of the fact that these supplements promise the moon and stars, but deliver little. The investigation confirms this. According to the report, there are far too many nutritional supplements being peddled out there as cures for Alzheimer's disease, cancer and other diseases. There are products that claim to lower hypertension and control diabetes. There is even a herbal supplement that claims to be a natural substitute for medication to control a person's blood pressure.

We live in times when anything labeled “natural” is considered safer and more healthful. No one wants to paint the entire natural foods industry with the same brush, but the fact is that there are many companies out there taking advantage of gullible consumers, and peddling supposedly safe and “natural” herbal products and supplements that could actually be harmful for you.